Food chopper



Sept. 1, 1936. J. R. BRADLEY FOOD CHOPPER Filed June 8, 1954 m av Patented Sept 1, 1936 UNITED STATES roo cnorrm Joseph R. Bradlcy,"1ulsa, Okla, assignor of. onehalf to ThomasB. Turner, Tulsa, Okla.-

Application June 8,1934, Serial No. 729,682, 1 Claim. (or 146-492) This invention relates to portable hand-crank driven food choppers of the type wherein a clamp is provided for mounting the chopper on the edge of a table or the like, and wherein food inserted in a feed chamber is forced by means or a rotat ingkfeed screw through apertures in a cutting dis An important object of the present invention is to provide a food chopper of the above kind which is extremely simple and durable in construction and efilcient in service, and wherein the body. clamp, feed screw, cutters, and actuating mechanism of the machine may be quickly taken apart for cleaning or any other desired purpose, as well as easily assembled, without the use of tools.

More particularly, the present invention contemplates the provision of an improved construction of food chopper of the above typewherein the parts are so disposed thatthe juices expressed from the food being chopped will not escape at any point other than the common discharge and directly into the vessel or receptacle arranged for reception of the chopped food, and wherein the feed hopper of the body is arranged so as to minimize danger of injury to the hands of persons placing food in the hopper and against the feed screw.

A still further object is to improve the general construction of food choppers of the above kind,

and the invention consists in the novel form,

combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described; shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

' In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly invertical section, of a food chopper constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof partly broken away; and

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line 3-4 of Figure 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the illustrated embodiment of the present invention includes a vertically arranged cylindrical body 5 whose upper end is laterally enlarged at one side to provide a feed hopper 5. Removably journaled in the body 5 is a feed screw 1 formed on its upper end with a stub shaft 8 removably journaled in the central opening of a cross bar 9 integral with and extending across the upper end of body 5. The stub shaft 8 has a projecting reduced squared terminal on which is removably fitted a beveled gear ll forming part of the actuating mechanism for said screw 1 and a cutter carried by the lower end of the latter as will be presently described.

Formed on the lower end of feed screw I is a squared stub shaft 12 on which is fitted a rotatablecutter l3 arranged within the lower end of body 5. The stub shaft l2 has a reduced cylindri- 5 cal terminal l4 journaled in the central opening of a stationary cutter disk l5 which is held in engagement with the under side of the cutter l3 and securely clamped at its margin against the lower end of body 5 by means of a clamping ring 16 re- 10 movably threaded on the lower end of said body 5. Itwill thus be seen'that whenlthe clamping ring l5 is removed the cutting disk I 5 and cutter l3 may be taken oil of the feed screw 1 and separated from the body 5 for cleaning or sharp- 15 ening. Also, the feed screw 1 is then free to be removed downwardly out of the body 5 and detached from the gear ll so that the body 5 and feed screw 1 may be readily cleaned.

The present food chopper further includes a 20 clamp H to facilitate attachment of the machine to the edge of a table or like support as at [8. This clamp has a vertical upwardly extending arm or standard i 9 the upper end of'which is enlarged and formed so as to provide the same at 25 one side'with a vertical concavo-cylindrical recess 20 in which the body 5 is removably seated at one side. The upper end of standard 19 is further provided with a horizontal cylindrical socket 2| which communicates with recess .20 intermi- 30 nate the top and bottom of the latter and snugly receives a hollow internally threaded stud 22 integrally formed on and projecting laterally from the adjacent side of body 5. A thumb screw 23 extends through the standard l9 and has thread- 35 ed engagement within the stud 22 so as to removably secure the body 5 to the standard iii. The stud 22 thus sustains the weight of the-body 5 and the parts carried thereby, the screw 23,..pre-' venting lateral separation of the body 5 and 4! standard l9, and the seating of the body 5 in the recess 20 restraining the body 5 from rotation about a horizontal axis defined by the stud 22. Obviously, by removing screw 23, the body 5 may be readily separated from the clamp 11 and its 45 standard l9 to facilitate cleaning of said body 5 without disturbing the engagement of the clamp with the table or other support l8. Formed on the upper end of standard I9 is an upward extension 24 terminating at its upper end in a horizon- 5 tel bearing 25 in which is removably journaled the reduced cylindrical shaft portion 26 of a hand crank 21. The shaft portion 26 ofcrank 21 has a reduced squared terminal 28 on which is removably fitted a fur-ther beveled gear 29 which meshes 5 with beveled gear II. It will thus be seen that with the parts assembled as shown in Figure 1 rotation of shaft portion 26 of crank 21 will cause rotation of feed screw 1 through gears 29 and I I. Cutter l3 will naturally be revolved with feed screw '1, and any food deposited in hopper 1 will be readily engaged by screw 1 and fed downwardly through body 5 to cutter l3 and cutter disk l5. As the food is chopped or cornminuted by the cutter l3 and cutter disk I 5, it passes through the discharge openings 30 of the cutter disk l5 into a suitable receptacle placed on the table or support I8 directly beneath the lower end of body 5. Thus, any juices expressed from the food will be caused to escape directly into the food receiver placed beneath the body 5 and upon the table or support l8. It will further be particularly noted that the shaft portion 26 of crank 21 may be readily removed outwardly from hearing 25 because the gear 29 will readily slip off of the squared terminal 28 of the shaft portion 26 of crank 21. No securing means is necessary for the gears II and 29, and they will remain in proper position and relation as long as the crank'portion 2.6 is held in the bearing 25 or not pulled outwardly of the latter. However, the use of readily removable fastening screws for gears II and 29 may be resorted to if found more desirable. It will be apparent that the construction provides for easy and safe'feeding of food to and through the body 5, as well as delivery of all juices into the receiving vessel beneath the body 5.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction and operation, as well as the advantages of the present invention, will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art. While I have illustrated and described what is at present believed to be the preferred construction of the present invention, it will be understood that minor changes may be made in the details of construction and form of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

A food chopper including a supporting standard, a vertical body removably secured to one side of said standard at the upper end of the latter, a feed screw removably journaled in said body, means operatively connected with the upper end of said feed screw for rotating the latter, said side of the upper end of said standard being formed with a vertical concavo-cylindrical recess in which one side of the body is fitted, said standard having a horizontal socket opening into said recess intermediate the top and bottom of the latter, the means for securing the body to the standard comprising a hollow internally threaded stud projecting from said side of the body and removably fitted in said socket, and a screw passing through the standard and removably threaded into said stud.

JOSEPH R. BRADLEY. 

